Flats inferno: 300 flee in panic as blaze engulfs London homes

Flats inferno: 300 flee in panic as blaze engulfs London homes

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Peckham fire aftermath

Devastation: the aftermath of the fire in Peckham which began on a building site and spread rapidly to flats opposite

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Peckham fire

More than 150 people were evacuated from their homes as the fire escalated

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Peckham fire

The fire on a building site in Peckham grew to half the size of a football pitch

Devastation: the aftermath of the fire in Peckham which began on a building site and spread rapidly to flats opposite

More than 300 people fled a massive blaze that spread to their homes from a building site early today.

The fire, covering an area equivalent to half a football pitch, also gutted a pub.

Residents watched in horror as cars exploded, their windows were broken by the heat and gardens devastated by the 80-foot flames.

Up to 180 firefighters tackled the blaze, which started at about 4.30am and swept through the whole of the site in Carisbrooke Gardens, Peckham. It spread to several three and four-storey blocks of flats and maisonettes in Sumner Road and Rosemary Road.

A 15-year-old girl living opposite gave a dramatic account of how she ran to warn neighbours that a "wall of fire" was threatening their homes.

Abbey Inaloz said her bedroom windows were cracking and when she looked out she could see an entire building on fire. "I initially woke up because my granddad had gone to the toilet and noticed the building site opposite us was on fire," she said.

"I could hear the windows cracking and I could feel the heat in my bedroom. It was so hot.

"I was in a state of panic and remember screaming and running out of the house, knocking on all the doors of my neighbours to alert them. The heat was so overwhelming that I had to put a blanket over my head as I couldn't breathe. I just remember everything being orange. When I tried to leave my house the door handle was so hot I burnt my hand."

Miss Inaloz continued: "Once I had got all my neighbours up we went and stood together outside, comforting each other. There were a few elderly people who were really distressed and crying. It's been very scary."

Altogether, 310 people were evacuated by police and taken to emergency council accommodation. Ten, including two police officers, received hospital treatment but none was believed to have suffered serious injuries. Twenty ambulances were on standby.

One resident, Judy Morris, said she woke up to what sounded like "hail stones" beating against her bedroom windows. When she looked out she was faced with 80-foot flames.

The 49-year-old caterer said: "My shed and my fence and the back part of the garden were all on fire. Everything was completely destroyed. Luckily there was a strong wind pushing the flames away from the house and so we were saved. If that hadn't happened I don't think we'd be here now."

Another witness, Beatrice Ghartey, told Sky News: "Cars were blowing up. It was just really scary. The blaze was moving towards us. I called the fire brigade and could not even talk. I was literally screaming fire.' "

It comes nearly five months after six people died when a fire ripped through the Lakanal House block of flats in nearby Camberwell. Labour deputy leader Harriet Harman, who is MP for Camberwell and Peckham, visited residents at the scene and spoke to fire chiefs as the flames began to die down. She said that is was "a miracle" nobody had lost their life in the fire.

"I think people are absolutely shocked that, just a few months after the devastating fire in Lakanal House in Camberwell, there should be such a massive fire in this area again," she said. "But I am incredibly relieved."

She added: "When you are burnt out, you lose all your possessions. You don't have your mobile phone. You don't have anything. You just have the night clothes you stand up in. So it is a question of really helping people to get clothes so that they can go to work and get uniforms so their kids can go to school."

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said the fire appeared to have "spread very rapidly" and gas cylinders may have been involved.

Paul McKenzie, owner of the Golden Lion pub in Sumner Road, told how the windows shattered as he fled.

London blazes

10 July, 2009. Soho: Smoke was seen for miles as 100 firefighters tackled the blaze in an office block. Nearby buildings were evacuated.

3 July, 2009. Lakanal House: Three children and three adults died in the 12-storey block in Camberwell. About 30 people were rescued.

9 February, 2008. Camden Market: The 100ft flames destroyed a large part of the market and gutted the Hawley Arms pub — a haunt of Amy Winehouse and Pete Doherty.

2 January, 2008. Royal Marsden Hospital: Nearly 100 patients were forced to flee the cancer hospital after a fire took hold on its roof. There were no casualties.

12 July, 2006. Bow: A six-storey warehouse was destroyed. On the same day in Colindale, an area was evacuated after a building site fire.